RAPID CITY, SD (Feb. 17, 2023) — For 46 years, South Dakota Mines has invited middle school
students to campus in February to learn about the fields of science and
engineering. The 2023 Engineers
Week will be held Feb. 21-25 with free events for the campus community, area
students and the general public. See Engineers
Week highlights in this video.
Engineers Week was founded by the National Society
of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in 1951 and is celebrated the week of
Presidents Day in honor of President George Washington, who is considered to be
the nation’s first engineer.
The week kicks off with the Mines Chemistry Magic
Show on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. This free event is so popular that it has
outgrown the Mines campus and moved to the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City at 601
Columbus Street. Mines students with the university chapter of the
American Chemical Society will present science-based demonstrations. This event
is free and open to the public.
Mines will also host nearly 500 middle and high
school students for Engineering & Science Day on Thursday, Feb. 23. The day
begins with demonstrations by academic departments held across campus and a Chemistry
Magic Show from 9 a.m. to noon. Students can also enjoy a lunchtime concert in
the Music Center and an afternoon talk on NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover by Deputy
Director of SD Space Grant Consortium Tom Durkin. The NASA presentation will be
held from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Surbeck Center Ballroom and is open to the public.
On Friday, Feb. 24, Engineers Week activities
conclude with the annual Order of the
Engineer induction ceremony. The Order fosters a spirit of responsibility and
pride in the profession of engineering. This year’s event will take place in
the Surbeck Ballroom on the Mines campus starting at 4 p.m.
Finally, on Saturday, Feb. 25, Mines will play host
to MathCounts. MathCounts is one of the most successful education partnerships
involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors, and students. The contest
is for students in sixth through eighth grade from western South Dakota.
MathCounts is sponsored by the South Dakota Engineering Society, Black Hills
Chapter.
Highlights of E-Week are as follows:
Tuesday, February 21
Mines Chemistry Magic Show
6–7 p.m., Performing Arts Center of Rapid City - 601
Columbus Street
Join students from our chapter of the American
Chemical Society for an explosive Chemistry Magic Show! This event is free and
open to the public.
Thursday, February 23
Engineering & Science Day Campus Tours
9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Various academic departments and student
organizations will host presentations around campus, including the chemistry
magic show.
Lunchtime Music Concert
Noon–1 p.m., Mines Music Center
NASA Presentation
1–2 p.m., Surbeck Center Ballroom
Friday, February 24
Order of the Engineer Initiation
4 p.m., Surbeck Center Ballroom
Click here for
details.
Saturday, February 25
MathCounts
8 a.m.-4 p.m., Classroom Building
Click here for
details.